Here is the story…

In 1633 an outbreak of the Bubonic plague was racing through Central Europe, killing hundreds of thousands of people. The Black Plague, as it was known, took the lives of 15,000 people in Munich alone.

Oberammergau was then – as it is today – a lovely bucolic village resting in the mountains of southern Germany, in the region known as Bavaria.

Despite all the villagers’ efforts, the plague claimed many victims in the town. With no end to the plague in sight, the frightened residents gathered and vowed to perform a play depicting the Passion of Christ every ten years forevermore if the Lord would spare their village of further atrocity.

The town was spared of further calamity. The Plague took no more lives. And with the first performance in 1634 a tradition was born. Despite the intervening centuries and threats to their town, the villagers of Oberammergau have maintained their vow for almost four hundred years, performing every ten years the play portraying the Passion of Jesus Christ.

In 2010 more than 1,700 Oberammergau residents fulfill the solemn promise of their forefathers and will perform the Passion Play for the world to see. This event has become the world’s most popular dramatic presentation of the Passion, and you will join thousands of people from around the world in attending the Play in 2010.

Yours is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, as the play will not repeat again until 2020. So make your plans early!